Fortress I taking off to attack Gneisenau

Here we see a Boeing Fortress I of No.40 Squadron taking off from RAF Polebrook to take part in an attack on the German battleship Gneisenau at Brest. Three Fortress Is took part in the raid, attacking from 30,000ft in an attempt to draw German fighters towards them and away from lower altitude attacks.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, Frederick A. Johnsen. A well researched and illustrated history of the B-17, with a very strong section on its combat record, an interesting chapter on the efforts made to improve the aircraft (including a number of suggestions that didn't enter production) and a good selection of colour pictures of the aircraft. [see more]

How to cite this article: Rickard, J (24 September 2026), Fortress I taking off to attack Gneisenau , https://www.historyofwar.org/Pictures/pictures_fortress_I_taking_off_gneisenau.html

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